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When you look at your gold jewellery, do you see a precious treasure, a cushion for your retirement or something else?
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In June 2025, Cash for Gold USA Surveyed About 1,000 customers who sold their gold to the company. Keep reading to find out the most popular reasons to sell and what experts have to say about current trends in the gold market.
Key Survey Findings
The survey presented a disappointing financial picture. Here are some of the most important findings:
- More than 68% of gold sellers used the proceeds to cover bills or groceries, underscoring the impact of the current economic climate on many consumers.
- Nearly 70% of sellers received $500 or less for their gold, indicating that the transaction was for short-term cash flow, not long-term financial security.
- More than 50% of vendors reported being employed, highlighting that many jobs do not pay workers enough to make ends meet.
- A quarter of sellers said they would sell more gold in the future, suggesting that some customers may not be optimistic about their financial situation going forward.
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What experts say about these findings
“I really think this story reflects the stress people are going through post-COVID,” said financial advisor and founder Brady Lochte. Exxon Capital Management. “Property values are rising and so are the costs of general living. Groceries, child care, insurance and housing take up a larger share of income each month, leaving less room to enjoy those benefits.
“When everyday expenses rise along with investments, high account balances can feel more abstract… reassuring on a statement, but much less tangible in daily life. Gold’s history of scarcity and inflation hedge has pushed prices higher, but the irony here is that rising cost of living is forcing people to sell it,” he continued.
Ian Ross, Vice President of Operations Ross Metalshas first-hand knowledge of this trend in the gold market. He said, “As a gold buyer, I have seen people sell their gold out of necessity, not to make a profit or spend it on non-essential purchases. For example, you wouldn’t sell your great-grandmother’s unused gold jewelry unless you need the money!”
What else is happening in the gold market?
Although these survey results show that some consumers are selling gold to stay afloat financially, they do not tell the whole story. Joshua D. Glosson, Content Manager money metalsIt said some gold owners are selling due to the record-breaking price of the commodity.
Additionally, some people “are selling their gold out of fear of an economic recession. Will the market collapse? I don’t know, but the signs are there and some people who own gold believe so,” Glosson said.
It is also important to note that there are still buyers in the market. The biggest buyers are central banks that store the precious metal in vaults, said Vince Stanzione, trader, investor and author. The Millionaire Dropout.
However, some individual investors are also investing their money in gold. “You can buy and sell gold through your brokerage account using exchange traded funds (ETFs). The most popular is the GLD – SPDR Gold Trust,” Stanzione said.
So, why are buyers buying? “It’s a loss of confidence in paper money (fiat currency). Gold keeps pace with inflation and gold retains its value and more and more Americans are realizing that,” Stanzione said.